Cracking the mysteries of cancer immunotherapies - e.courses for oncology healthcare professionals
The new therapies for cancer that target the immune system have revolutionised cancer care in recent times. The treatment of melanoma, leukaemia and other malignancies has been transformed by these immune modulating drugs. However, few oncology clinicians or oncology specialist nurses have backgrounds in immunology or immune mediated therapies and often find themselves at a loss when reponding to patients questions. Our proposed e.learning courses aim to demystify the key immune concepts underpinning anti tumour immune mechanisms, how they are compromised by malignancy and how immunotherapies drive osuccessful outcomes. These course will be simple tailor made courses designed to respond to the unmet needs of oncology professionals and delivered online. Studies have shown that patients benefit significantly if they understand more about their disease and their treatment. Arming oncology consultants and nurses with knowdedge of emerging immunotherapeutic strategies will place them in a better position to advise and support their patients. New discoveries in cancer immunology therapy can only be applied only if healthcare workers are up to date in the latest translational research, its limitations and its benefits. Working in collaboration with co-applicants on the successful HRB PPI Ignite proposal (2017-008), we aim to harness the considerable expertise in the Faculty of Health Sciences to deliver online courses which will give oncology caregivers the tools to assess and communicate the latest developments in cancer immunotherapy.
- Award Date
- 28 September 2017
- Award Value
- €32725
- Principal Investigator
- Professor Cliona O'Farrelly
- Host Institution
- Trinity College Dublin
- Scheme
- Knowledge Exchange and Dissemination Scheme